Movie Hawk

For better or worse, Cary Brothers is inextricably linked with Zach Braff. So, for that matter, are the Shins, Iron & Wine, and Frou Frou. Garden State was a seminal experience for budding fans of indie music, myself included. But while the Shins and even Imogen Heap had albums available to the brainwashed masses who walked out of Garden State and into Tower Records, Brothers only had a handful of EPs. That problem will be remedied on May 29, when Brothers releases his (yes, Cary Brothers is the name of a man, not a band) debut album, Who You Are. Faithful fans will be happy to know that the full-length release will have been worth the wait.

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There should be little explanation as to why Michael Bublé’s newest CD, Call Me Irresponsible, tops the list of best-selling albums on iTunes as of the writing of this review. The Canadian-bred crooner pushes songs that are immediately recognizable to any generation of listener and has a unique ability to put a modern spin on standards while remaining remarkably faithful to them.

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Common wisdom tells us that a plethora of vocal ticks set against alternatingly opulent and cutesy orchestration doesn’t make for a successful album. But if the title of her 2004 album Soviet Kitsch is any indicator, Regina Spektor seems to have come to terms with the arrangement and made it work in her favor. The Russian-born singer-songwriter makes a strong case for that fact with her 2006 follow-up, Begin to Hope, an album that asks you to love it, warts and all. The good news for Spektor is that she makes it near impossible to refuse.

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It seems like so much fewer than three years ago that Natalie Portman was convincing us that listening to the Shins would change our lives (let’s face it: no review of the Shins will ever again be written without mentioning Garden State, so it’s best to get it out of the way early). But while Portman was quirkily winning Zach Braff’s heart by hypnotizing him with cuts from their first major release, Oh, Inverted World, the Albuquerque natives were turning themselves into indie pop powerhouses with the growing popularity of Chutes Too Narrow. With the release of Wincing the Night Away, many fans expected the band to build on the sunny, melodic, unbelievably catchy tone of Chutes. What they got is an album that’s reminiscent of Oh, Inverted World and has some of the same mood of Chutes, but unlike any Shins material ever heard.

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Perhaps the best — and worst — thing anyone could say in describing the Trolleyvox is that they sound like the New Pornographers with a boost of girl power. This isn’t to say that the Philadelphia-based power-poppers are a band content with riding the rock coattails of other groups, nor is it to cast the growing shadow of Neko Case onto Trolleyvox lead singer Beth Filla. Indeed, the similarities suggest that the Trolleyvox are a band poised to make the jump from relatively unnoticed underground rockers to… well, appreciated underground rockers. Their newest release, The Trolleyvox Present the Karaoke Meltdowns, is certainly a step in the right direction.

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I’m almost surprised, living in a city where the now-deceased top alternative rock station would release a yearly “Sonic Sessions” compilation of popular artists in various stages of being unplugged, that I’ve always taken for granted the difference between an acoustic set and the sound you wind up hearing on a finished CD. When I saw Matthew Ryan perform selections from his new release, From a Late Night Highrise, as part of a set with three other indie singer/songwriters, I assumed that the sound I heard that night would be matched on the CD. I was wrong, and I’m not quite sure that’s a good thing.

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John Mayer has earned himself a sort of bad name in pop music. Because of his soft, well-produced music and sweet lyrics, Mayer has been exiled to adult-alternative stations like Philadelphia’s B101. No serious music fan in possession of all his mental faculties would admit to listening to B101 outside of an elevator. But beyond his radio hits, Mayer has always been capable of putting out satisfying pop infused with blues and R&B flavors. Mayer puts those influences at center stage in his newest release, Continuum. And while the 12-track offering may not convert any new listeners, especially from those who see his name and are tempted to quote a sight gag in Family Guy that says “That’s enough, John Mayer,” Continuum should be recognized as a mature and accomplished album.

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